Baby Shower
by pumpkaboo
Summary: Sam and James have a brief encounter at a department store and reunite at a friends Baby Shower.


Sam knew what he had to get.

To be totally frank, he didn't like shopping on any given day, but shopping for baby items was always stressful. Soon to be parents, their relatives and friends always tended to stand around in the baby aisles looking at products and comparing them. Sam, however, knew better. His sister had kids. He knew what they liked, and he would just buy that for Clint and Natasha's almost here kid.

He walked into the store, not needing a basket, and walked down to the baby toy section. He saw a man lurking in a large coat with oily shoulder length hair. Sam didn't pay him much attention. He had toys to pick up. He looked along the shelves, gradually stepping closer to the other man.

He spotted the last boxed baby gym mat, complete with toys, and reached to grab it, just as the other man did. He stepped back as though he had been shocked, the other man doing the same, and looked at him.

"Sorry" the man said, looking at Sam.

Sam, admittedly, was going to say something snarky (shopping did that, okay?) but he was surprised at how attractive the man actually was. "No, I'm sorry, you take it."

"No, you were obviously looking for it. You take it."

Sam shook his head. "I insist, you take it. I can grab another thing."

"Are you sure?" the man asked.

"Positive. You get it."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No worries. Baby shower?"

"Yeah. One of my close friends is pregnant so… yeah" he chuckled. "Have to get her baby something."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, it's my good friends' wife's baby. I don't know her that well, but she still invited me."

"That's nice" the man agreed. "Well, thanks again. I appreciate it."

"No worries."

The man flashed him another smile and walked out of the aisle.

Sam almost kicked himself when he realized that he just gave his best present idea away to a random (albeit attractive) man. Then he realized that he hadn't even gotten a name or (if he had been brave enough) a number.

He sighed and walked around the other aisles, thinking about something else he could get when he saw another brand new boxes gym mat. He grabbed the box, grinning to himself. This was good. On his way back to the registers he grabbed a card and wrapping paper.

Now he was all set.

…

Steve greeted Sam as he turned up to Natasha and Clint's baby shower.

"How are you?" he smiled.

"Great, you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm really good. How did you go finding a present? To be honest, I had no idea what to buy" he admitted, wrapping an arm over Sam's shoulders.

"Well, my sister has kids so that made it easier. Kinda know what they like."

Steve raised a brow. "The parents or the kids?"

"Both-"

"And you never gave me any ideas" Steve chuckled.

"You didn't ask" he grinned.

He walked through the house to the backyard where there were probably two dozen other people. There were a few people he recognized, most of them he didn't, so he assumed that they were Natasha's friends and colleagues.

"You know any of these people?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I do. Presents are going on that table."

Sam nodded and made his way over to the tables and set the present down. Another present joined the table, laying on top of the pile. Sam looked up and saw the man from the store. He smiled and held his hand out. "Didn't get to introduce myself the other day."

"James. Nice to meet you" he said, shaking Sam's hand.

"Sam."

"Wanna grab a drink with me?"

"Sure."

They walked together to the table where drinks and some canapes. James picked up two glasses. "Punch good for you?" he asked.

"Sure."

"It's non-alcoholic."

They both looked around at Clint.

"Hey!" Sam smiled. "How have you been?"

"Great. Did you just get here?"

He nodded. "Yeah, about five minutes."

"Well, I am glad you made it. I will send Tasha over to say hi. I have to go see Steve. Every time we go to have a conversation someone drags him away" he chuckled.

"Sounds about right" Sam chuckled. He had totally forgotten that Steve had greeted him and walked him in. Where had he disappeared to?

"Didn't know you two knew each other" Clint added before spotting Steve across the yard. "I'll come back and chat."

Sam nodded as Clint hurried off.

"Wait, you know Steve?" James asked him.

"Of course I do" Sam said, looking back at him.

"Huh. I had no idea. I'm surprised that he never mentioned you."

Sam shrugged. "Met him through work. Probably not that interesting."

"I think it is. So, what do you do?"

"I'm a counsellor."

James raised a brow. "Steve works in art-?"

"I did a bit of work in the building he was in."

"Oh right. Cool. I thought you must have been an artist."

He shook his head. "Nah. Not really good at that sort of thing."

James shrugged. "Yeah, Steve is really talented."

"That he is."

James passed Sam the glass he had been holding. "Sorry, you'd never get that drink if I didn't realize how stupid I looked holding two while still talking to you" he chuckled.

Sam grinned. "All good." He took a sip and nodded. "It's nice for non-alcoholic" he chuckled.

James hummed in agreement. "True. But Tasha is secretly great at cooking" he added.

"Yeah? I don't know her that well" Sam shrugged.

"We actually dated a while back" he said, filling his glass up again.

Sam almost sighed out aloud, glad that he had caught himself before it happened. Of course James was straight. He always wasted his time with straight guys. He set the glass down. "Speaking of Nat, I should really go say hi-"

"Oh. Yeah, of course. I'll talk to you later."

Sam made his way over to where the heavily pregnant Tasha was talking to Sharon. He cleared his throat when he was close to approaching them.

Natasha look at him. "Hi Sam, I'm glad you could make it" she smiled.

"Thanks for inviting me."

"Of course. Thanks for always being a great friend to Clint."

He chuckled. "He is a great guy."

"He's okay" she joked. "Saw you talking to Barnes. Wasn't aware that you two knew each other."

"We only met the other day when we… oh fuck."

Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, did you two have a drunken encounter?" she asked, a glint in her eye.

"No, much worse."

"What?" she asked, looking worried.

"Give me a minute."

"Okay. Sure."

He walked back over to James who was still standing alone by the punch bowl. His face lit up when he saw Sam walking over. "Back already?" James asked.

"Yeah. Question-"

James nodded eagerly.

"When we met in the shops the other day, was that present for Natasha and Clint?"

"It was."

"Fuck."

"Why?"

"I bought the same one."

"No way" James grinned.

"Yeah, I did. Didn't even think that we could be buying it for the same people."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed either. Wouldn't that have been a strange coincidence?"

"Well, I would say meeting again like this is fate."

James smiled. "That I would have to agree with."

Sam felt his heart beating. He was usually always smooth, but right now he had no idea what to say. James smile was surprisingly disarming, and to be honest, the fact that he wasn't in that awfully large coat and he had actually washed his hair made a huge difference.

He was actually okay when Steve walked over and started talking with James, steering him away from Sam for a bit. Sam refilled his glass and sat down at one of the small tables. He was happy when a younger girl with a thick accent and her British fiancé started small talk with him. It was a welcome distraction, but he couldn't help but peer over to where James was talking with Steve and Natasha.

"So, you know many people here?"

He looked back at the young woman, who had introduced herself as Wanda. "No. I only knew Steve, Natasha, Clint and James, but I have seen a few others around at other get-togethers I'm sure."

She nodded. "I only knew Clint because he worked with my brother. He couldn't make it today, but Victor and I were also invited, so we decided to come anyway."

Victor, her fiancé, nodded. "Since we don't know Natasha or Clint that well we weren't sure if we should show up, but Pietro was insistent that we should since he couldn't."

She nodded. "So the three of us all put in to buy a present. It's hard shopping for someone who has known for almost a full pregnancy what they are having and so we just bought essential things."

Victor nodded. "Also, as Wanda said, we don't really know either of them."

"That is why we are sitting here eating everything" Wanda admitted.

"To be honest, I think that's a great way to spend the day" Sam smiled.

Wanda chuckled. "I agree! Oh! I forgot to get the ingredients for tonight" she said, looking at Victor.

"Perhaps we should leave early?" he suggested.

"I think that's a good idea" she admitted. "We aren't really contributing anything here."

He nodded. "Well, we will have to say goodbye to Clint and Natasha too."

She nodded. "I know. Do you think I could take some of this food home for Pietro? It's delicious."

"Wanda, you can cook better than that."

She smiled. "You think so?"

"Of course you can."

She smiled and looked at Sam. "Maybe you should bring your boyfriend over sometimes. It was nice talking to you."

"Boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend."

She blushed a deep red. "Oh… apologies. I thought that man was your partner. Well, good luck with it" she shrugged.

He chuckled. "Thanks. I think I'll need it."

She shook her head. "I think you got this. Let's go Victor. I wat to say bye to Natasha before she gets surrounded by a million people again."

"Very well. Perhaps you should thank Natasha and I will see Clint?"

"Good thinking. See you at the car."

He nodded and they walked in the opposite direction.

Sam sighed and looked at his empty glass, not even aware that he had finished it sometimes during talking to Wanda and Victor. He set the glass down and folded his arms on the table. It wasn't that he was bored, he was definitely putting it down to lack of sleep, it was more the fact that he felt like he was just being a drag. He stood up, thinking that perhaps he too should leave when Steve walked over.

"There you are. James wasn't sure if you'd left."

"Thinking about it" he admitted.

"You've only been here for an hour."

He shrugged. "Been working overtime at work. Just tired."

Steve nodded. "I feel you. Where you talking to someone else or have you been sitting by yourself?"

"I was talking to Wanda and Victor. Nice couple."

"Hm. I don't think I know them."

"They don't really know anyone here. Her brother knows Clint."

"There you go."

Sam nodded. "I'm going to fill up my glass" he said, holding it up. He stood up and made his way over, Steve talking about the latest comic he was working on.

"But you can't tell anyone. It's going to have a shocking plot twist, you know."

As much as Sam loved Steve's enthusiasm and his work, he wasn't into reading comics. Steve had given him a few that he had worked on, but Sam wasn't a huge fan. He was, however, used to hearing Steve give away all the plots, simply because Steve had to talk about it, and Sam never read them so it wasn't exactly a spoiler.

"I thought you only did the art."

"I do! But I have to know what's happening so I can draw it."

"True."

"There you are! I thought you might have left without saying goodbye."

Sam looked over at James who was walking over with a beer. Steve went to grab it, but James threw him a warning look and passed it to Sam.

Steve pouted. "I see how it is."

"Thanks" Sam smiled. "You got this where?"

James shrugged. "Told Clint I needed alcohol. Gave me two beers."

"Having that much fun are you?" Steve joked.

James rolled his eyes. "You could say that."

Sam chuckled. "Well, I was thinking of leaving, but I think I will have to finish this first."

James nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Yeah, I think we should sit on one of the picnic blankets."

Steve raised a brow. "I see how it is."

"You just realized?" James grinned.

Steve shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know, okay?"

"Anyway, didn't you come here with Sharon?"

"Yeah, but she is having fun hanging out with Natasha."

"Well, looks like you might have to find Clint."

"Thanks James."

He smiled. "Welcome."

Steve chuckled and walked away.

"So, guessing you two have known each other for a while?" Sam asked.

James nodded. "Since we were kids." He sat down on the blanket. "I have to admit, Natasha picked a really good set up for today. Think she invited too many people though."

"Yeah, they really didn't have to invite me" Sam said, taking a sip from the bottle.

"But it's nice having you here" James said softly, not looking at him.

"Yeah. Wished I'd caught your name back at the store that day."

James chuckled. "Wished I'd grabbed your number. But I looked a bit homeless that day. Just finished twelve hours at work."

"Twelve hours?"

He nodded. "Yeah. One of the guys was sick so I stayed back. It was a busy day."

Sam shook his head. "You're a great guy."

James chuckled. "No. Just doing my job."

"Hm. I don't know a lot of people who'd stay back."

"It's just what you gotta do."

Sam nodded. "Yeah… you're right.

James finished his drink and lay down on the rug. "You know, I really am glad that we got to meet like this. I was afraid that I wouldn't see you again."

Sam looked down at him. James was so beautiful.

James smiled up at him. "Didn't you want to see me again?"

"Of course I did."

James basically beamed, his teeth blindingly white. "I'm glad." He propped himself up on his elbows. "Did you feel that?"

Sam frowned. "Feel what?"

"Either I spat on my own face when I was talking, or I was sure it was raining."

Sam looked at the sky, surprised since it hadn't been an overcast day when he had arrived earlier, but the clouds were rolling in. It took less than three seconds for the rain to drench the two of them.

"What-?!" James grasped as the rain pelted down. "This is unexpected" James chuckled, his hand resting on top of Sam's.

Sam smiled, his eyes locking with James'. He leaned over and pressed his lips to James', and was happy when James reciprocated by sucking lightly on his lower lip. James pulled back and smiled, leaning his forehead against Sam's.

"Was that unexpected?" Sam asked.

James smirked. "I've been waiting for that."

Sam smiled. "Yeah?"

James nodded. "Yeah." He kissed Sam's cheek and stood up, holding his hand out for Sam. "We should probably head inside."

Sam accepted the help and James pulled him up. "It's getting cold now."

James picked up the picnic rug and bundled it up under his arm. "Wanna grab coffee? We could just go and we'd have nothing to lose."

"Let's do it."

…

"So, I just wanted to say thanks for coming to the baby shower."

"Of course."

"What I want to know is if you or James have a receipt for the baby gym?"

"I have mine."

"Good."

"Why did you ask me about James?"

She chuckled. "You'd have to be blind not to see the connection between the two of you. I bet he is at yours right now."

"Morning Sam" James said, lumbering into the kitchen and turning on the kettle.

"Don't think I didn't hear that" Natasha said. Sam knew she was grinning.

"Yeah, so what?" he replied defensively.

She chuckled. "I was joking. Anyway, I'll get Clint to stop by and get that receipt later, is that okay?"

"Course. I'm home all day."

"Good. I'll let him know. Have a good day Sam."

"Yeah, you too."

"Bye."

Sam hung up and looked at James who passed him a coffee. "You're welcome" James smiled and made his way over to the lounge.

Sam shook his head, but joined James on the lounge. He could get used to this.


End file.
